Mariah Carey on 'American Idol' gig: 'Honestly, I hated it'

Mariah Carey (2nd from left) was a judge on "American Idol" with from left Randy Jackson, Keith Urban and Nicki Minaj.

Story highlights

Carey says she was disappointed with "American Idol"

Singer says she believed it would be a three person panel

Says she "loved the contestants"

Mariah Carey is clarifying her feelings about working on Fox's "American Idol."

"Honestly, I hated it," she said during a Hot 97 radio interview when asked about her time judging season 12 of the talent competition earlier this year along with Randy Jackson, Keith Urban and — most infamously and contentiously — Nicki Minaj.

So how much did she hate it?

"I was led to believe — I was the first person signed on," Carey said (video below). "Heaven forbid I look like I'm saying something negative, but honestly I thought it was going to be a three-person panel. They gave me a nice dangling monetary moment. I was like, okay, Randy Jackson will be there, I've known him forever. This isn't a big deal. This will be nothing. But it wasn't that. It was like hell. It was like going to work every day in hell with Satan."

So, yes. She apparently really despised being on Idol.

As Carey laughed and covered her eyes at her last comment, the host asked, "Really?" And then Carey added: "Nah, I'm just playing. It didn't affect me that much."

Oh, okay, she was pretty cool with it?

"I was disappointed," she added-added.

So she was disappointed then?

"I loved the contestants. And some of them were so good, and also really good people."

So dealing with the contestants — that part Carey liked?

"It was disappointing when they would — for political reasons — not put [contestants] through. And I'm like, I'm not going to sit here and do this. I would prefer to put this person in a studio and record a record with them."

"Idol" really hired Carey as a judge? She can't even clearly state her own opinion — about her own opinion!

The singer just released a new single titled, ironically, "The Art of Letting Go."

Both Carey and Minaj are off Idol for next season, which has Urban, Harry Connick Jr. and Jennifer Lopez as judges and premieres on Jan. 15.